Regular readers know I am a reality TV fan.
I do not think, as so many observers do, that this genre is inherently terrible, and, indeed, I enjoy and appreciate the lengths people will go to in order to humiliate themselves for my amusement.In general, I prefer the competition-based reality shows, though, strangely, I've never gotten into Survivor, which is kind of a middlebrow competition. I like the highbrow competition of Project Runway and the lowbrow competition of Charm School and Miss Rap Supreme. Okay, I prefer the lowbrow competition. By a pretty wide margin. But I like Project Runway anyway. Let me state again for the record that I am a heterosexual man.
(Aside: as a teacher, I really admire Tim Gunn's pedogogical style. He really does a great job of guiding his "students" to do the best work they're capable of. I aspire to have this ability that seems to just come naturally to Tim.)
Besides, non-competitive reality TV really reached its apex back in 2001, with Temptation Island. For those of you who don't remember this, they took a bunch of "committed couples" to a resort in Belize, separated them by gender, and surrounded them with beautiful idiots to "tempt" them. And then their significant others would have to watch video of them on dates with other idiots! Can anyone who saw it forget the look on Billy's face as he watched Mandy licking salt off another man's nipple before doing tequila shots with him? Oh, that was excellent TV. (Bored at work? Pop those headphones in and watch it here! You're welcome!)
Anyway, I thought nothing could top Temptation Island. And then came Jersey Shore. Self-described Guidos and Guidettes are placed in a house in Seaside Heights. They must pull occasional shifts in a t-shirt store but otherwise have nothing to do but go out and get hammered and be incredibly stupid. Why is this incredibly compelling TV? The cast is both loathsome and pathetic, and, despite their admirable physiques, not particularly attractive to my way of thinking. And, of course, nothing is really at stake. (And yet one participant has already managed to get kicked off, which is a pretty remarkable achievement.)
I've always identified with this line from the Minutemen: "Thinking too much can ruin a good time." I've always been an overthinker, and I suspect it's cost me some fun over the years. And I've wondered--what must it be like to go through life unencumbered by any shred of self-awareness, empathy, conscience, or basically any thinking at all? What might it be like to be a rampaging, unchecked id in an ostensibly adult body?
Jersey Shore, week after week, provides the answer. And, like the booty shorts you can buy in Seaside Heights say, I love The Situation.
